Luggage case having a removable lining



LUGGAGE CASE HAVING A REMOVABLE LINING Filed June 8, 1948 IN VEN TOR. JA c Q UELINE C 0 CHRAN ATTORNE 1 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUGGAGE CASE HAVING A REMOVABLE LINING 3 Claims.

This invention relates to luggage and more particularly to a luggage case having a removable lining.

Modern improvements in luggage have been principally concerned with saving in weight while maintaining or increasing storage capacity. Little thought has been given to the facilitating of the cleaning of luggage interiors and to the protection of the contents against being marred by the fittings of the luggage. This is particularly true when considering the packing of fine ladies things, in small overnight cases, which may also receive fitted cosmetic kits. Such pieces of luggage must not only provide protection for the clothing against the fittings of the luggage, but, particularly when cosmetic kits are carried in the pieces, mustbe capable of quick and thorough cleaning. In addition, such pieces must be pleasing in appearance for appeal to the feminine taste. The construction of my invention is believed to meet the foregoing and other criteria of the art.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide an attractive combination of a piece of luggage with a readily removable lining therein, with the lining secured in the luggage adjacent the open mouth thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a piece of luggage and lining therefor which protect articles carried therein against fastenings or attachments of the luggage.

A further object is to provide such combination of luggage and lining with separable fasteners between the luggage case and lining to maintain the lining in neat nested relation within the case.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter as the description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, proceeds. In that drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a piece of luge gage in accordance with my invention, showing the same in closed position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view thereof, with the lid open to display the interior.

Figure 4 is a section taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective view looking up from underneath at my improved lining as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the fastening means for the bottom of the lining, showing the manner of application of the same, and

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a cosmetic case adapted for reception within the piece of luggage shown.

For the purposes of illustration the invention is shown as applied to a piece of luggage of the size and shape generally identified as a ladys overnight bag. It is, of course, to be understood, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other sizes and shapes of bags found within the customary luggage line.

The overnight bag shown in the accompanying drawing has a main receiving portion, generally shown at I, and a lid portion, generally shown at 2. The main portion I is formed with a bottom 3 and upstanding surrounding side walls consisting of a back wall 4, front wall 5, and right and left end walls 6 and I. These side walls terminate in an upper free edge 8 which is suiiiciently flat and wide to accommodate leaves e of suitable hinges, while other leaves IE3 of such hinges are engaged with a similarly formed surface I I forming the face of the side wall of the lid. The side wall of the lid has a back I2, a front l3 and right and left hand ends I 4 and I5 respectively. The inside of the lid 2 is preferably provided with a mirror It, so that the user may set up the bag to act as its own vanity. The depth of the side walls I2, [3, l4, and I5 is sufficient to protect such mirror against damage. The extent of the opening of the lid is controlled by straps l1 and I8.

The main receiving portion I carries a carrying handle I!) which is pivotally secured to the front 5 by means of suitable fastening members 29. A pair of locks 2!, also carried by the front 5, receive hasps 22 applied to the face of the front side I3 of the lid. The particular locks employed in this instance are of the keyless combination type, so must be seatedin openings in the front 5 in order to enable them to be set from behind. Regular key type locks could, of course, be used but to be properly seated they or at least their fastening elements would likewise extend through to the inside of the wall 5. In any event it would be necessary to provide some adequate cover for such of the lock elements as extend through to the inside of the back, and in the case of the combination lock type, the covering would need to be displaceable for the setting and changing of the combination as desired. This feature, as well as other important characteristics, is taken care of by the lining construction of the invention about to be described.

Practically the entire interior of the overnight -bag in accordance with this invention is covered by a removable lining, shown generally at 23 in Figure 5. This lining is made of suitable soft flexible material, preferably cloth, which may be readily cleaned so that any foreign matter it may pick up will not soil the contents of the bag. Cleaning will also serve to restore the lining to its original nature and appearance. The lining is so shaped as to complement the shape of the particular bag with which it is used. In the present instance it is of a rectangular boxlike shape with an open top. The lining 23 has a bottom 24 surrounded by an upstanding wall having a front 25, a back 26, and right and left hand ends 21 and 28 respectively. Though the lining is shown in Figure 5 as in its extended state; it is of course to be understood that the usual lining would be made of such soft, pliable material that it would hardly stand up in as definite a shape as illustrated. The manner of showing it, however, serves for better illustra tion.

The removable seating and securing of the lining in the main portion I of the bag is so effected as to not only hold the lining within such main portion, but also to hold it fully spread out and against the adjacent walls of the bag. In this way the lining will be neat in appearance and will in no way interfere with the packing of the bag. Such seating is accomplished by employing suitably placed snap fastenings operating between the bottom of the bag and the bottom of the lining, and by a hookless, or slide, fastener at the open mouth of the lining which extends completely therearound.

The snap fastenings employed for the bottom of the lining are here shown as four in number and as spaced generally adjacent the four corners at the bottom of the lining. Suitably, these may be of the pimple and dimple" type whose male members, as shown at 29 in Figures 4 and 6, are carried by the bottom 3 of the bag, and whose female members, as shown at 30, are carried by the lining itself. This type of fastener is particularly effective in a position where the fastener must be actuated by grasping it through the material of the lining.

An enlarged head 3| of the member 29 is necessary for a proper fastening, and thus requires 4.

that the receiving member 30 be formed in complementary fashion. This would result in upstanding projections which, if inadequately shielded from the articles packed in the bag, would at least make noticeable marks thereon. This drawback is eliminated in the construction of the invention by forming the bottom 24 of the lining out of double thickness material, as shown at 32 and 33 in Figures 4 and 6, by attaching the member 33 solely to the outer layer 33 and thus protecting the articles packed against the member 30 by means of the inner layer 32. The manner of securing the respective elements of such fasteners to material, such as the cloth 33 and the bottom of the bag 3, is believed to be known to those skilled in the art, and does not need to be amplified here. From the foregoing it is believed to be apparent that the use of suitably placed fasteners, such as 293il, will enable the proper locating of the lining with respect to the bottom of the bag, will enable such lining to be readily removed if desired, and will achieve these ends without marring articles packed in the bag.

A row of slidable fastener elements 34 surrounding the upper edge of the side wall of the lining is mated with a complementary row 35 properly set around the open mouth of the main portion I of the bag. The row 34 is carried by the usual tape and is secured in place between the inner and outer layers 32 and 33 of the lining 23. The row of fasteners 35 is carried by another tape 36. The tape 36 is sewn or otherwise secured to an attaching band 31, which band is in turn secured to the body of the bottom portion 1 closely adjacent to, and inside of, the upper edge any other manner.

8 thereof. This manner of securing makes for ease in handling the slide fastener and provides for the lifting of the band 31 so that the lock elements previously referred to are readily accessible on the inside of the bag.

Preferably the operating slider for the fastener elements 34 and 35 is mounted on the row 35 as is the receiving channel for the commencing end 38 of the row 34. Inasmuch as this slidable fastener connection extends all the way around the upper free edge of the lining, the operating slider, in either closed or open position, will terminate in substantially the same position. Thus one tab element 39, as shown in Figure 4, will be adequate to overlie both ends of each of the rows 34 and 35 as well as the operating slider. This tab element furnishes protection against the contents of the bag being marred by the slider.

Should it be desired to remove the lining 23 from the bottom I, the same can be quickly and easily done. First the rows of fasteners 34 and 35 are disengaged by running the operating slider all the way around the upper edge of the lining.

The lining thus being freed around its top is loose enough so that the snap elements 30 can be grasped through the inner layer 32 of the lining and freed from the members 3|. To replace the lining it is generally easier to first engage the slide fastener elements and, once the lining is generally seated in place, snap the members 30 over the heads 3|.

As an illustration of one of the common uses of such a bag, a make-up kit, designed to either be carried in the bag, or carried separately, is shown in Figure 7. This kit 49 has a handle 4| which is mounted so as to lie fiat thereagainst when not in use, and has a type of closing member 42 so designed as to be unobtrusive when closed. Thus the kit, located as shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, can be carried within the overnight bag without damaging anything else packed therein. On occasion, however, a certain amount of powder, or other material, escapes from these kits and collects within the overnight bag in such a manner as to be difiicult to dislodge. Should this happen with regard to the bag of the invention, any such foreign matter would be caught by the lining. This condition could be easily remedied by removing the lining, washing or cleaning it and replacing it. As an alternative the lining could be discarded and replaced by a suitable counterpart. Similar'ly, of course, the lining is adaptable for removal and cleaning should it become soiled in From the foregoing it is believed to be readily apparent that the construction of my invention provides a simple solution to a former annoying condition. Speaking generally, it enhances the effectiveness of this type of luggage to a very considerable extent.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and seek Letters Patent for is:

1. In a bag of the character described, a rigid main portion having a bottom with an upstanding side wall therearound, a rigid lid for closing the opening in said main portion and a removable lining for said main portion, said lining, adjacent its upper free edge and said side wall of said main portion inside the upper edge thereof being formed with complementary hookless fastener elements, said hookless fastener elements extending entirely around the upper free edge of said lining, a slider for engaging said hookless fastener elements and a tab of flexible material overlying a terminal position of said slider to prevent the contents of said bag from coming into engagement with said slider.

2. In a bag of the character described, a main portion having a bottom with an upstanding side wall therearound, Ia strip of flexible material secured to said side Wall inside the same and adjacent the upper free edge thereof, said strip of flexible material extending entirely around said side wall, the lower edge of said material being provided with a set of hookless fastener elements extending therearound, a lining for said main portion received within the same, and means for removably securing said lining in place, said means including a set of hookless fastener elements around the free edge of said lining, cooperating with said set of hookless fastener elements on said strip to removably secure said lining in place in the main portion of said bag.

3. In a bag of the character described, a rigid main portion having a bottom with an upstanding side wall therearound, a strip of flexible material secured to said side Wall inside the same and adjacent the upper free edge thereof, said strip of flexible material extending entirely around said side Wall, the lower edge of said material being provided with a set of hookless fastener elements extending therearound, a lining for said main portion received within the same, said lining being formed to nest within said main portion of the bag, a free edge on said lining complementing said lower edge of said strip of material, a set of hookless fastener elements on said free edge of said lining cooperating with said set of hookless fastener elements on said strip, and snap fastener members operating between the bottom of said lining and the bottom of said main portion, said snap fastener elements being formed in pairs, one element of each pair being mounted on said bottom of said main portion and the other element of each pair. being mounted on the opposed portion of the bottom of said lining.

JACQUELINE COCHRAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,490,001 Gaynor Apr. 8, 1924 1,872,570 Cramer et a1 Aug. 16, 1932 1,994,001 Lobel Mar. 12, 1935 2,138,202 Wilt Nov. 29, 1938 2,159,279 Lipowsky et a1 May 23, 1939 2,311,847 Long Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,232 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1893 496,079 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1938 

